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Dickens' story, set in 1840s-era London, focuses upon a cold-hearted, miserly man named Ebenezer Scrooge. Money appears to be Scrooge's only love until encounters with the ghost of his old business partner and three Christmas spirits force him to re-examine his life.

After a bit of research, Landgrebe learned A Christmas Carol is considered public domain. He was free to write his own play based on Dickens' work. He and wife, Sandy, wrote one together.

Virtually, everything we did is, word for word, from the book," Landgrebe said.

One notable change is the narrator. Landgrebe has seen a few versions of the story narrated by Fred, Scrooge's nephew. But Landgrebe was inspired to try something different while reading the forward in his A Christmas Carol book.

"I have endeavored in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humor with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me," Dickens wrote.

"I thought, wouldn't it be clever if we let Charles Dickens narrate his own play," Landgrebe said.

In the Katy production, Dickens' character sits at a writing desk on stage and comes forward periodically to introduce a new scene.

There's something about A Christmas Carol that appeals to all generations, Landgrebe said. Scrooge's transformation, his decision to embrace a new life, offers audience members hope.

"I think it's the idea that it's never too late," Landgrebe said.

Senior Chase Hodgeson, 17, has the job of bringing Scrooge to life in the Katy play.

"I just want people mainly to forget I'm in high school and to think I'm Ebenezer," he said. "He is, obviously, very miserly and, overall, unhappy. His money is too important to spend on other people or even on himself."

Hodgeson also has been tackling the challenge of portraying the transformed Scrooge.

"It's extremely emotional," Hodgeson said. "Basically, it's two different characters. He just becomes this jubilant guy that's full of life."